Kolohe Andino Leads Charge On Day One Of Oakley Pro Junior

SEA ISLE CITY, New Jersey (Friday, August 29, 2008) – The first three rounds of the Oakley Pro Junior presented by Heritage Surf and Sport ran in wind-blown one-to-two foot (1 metre) conditions in Sea Isle city today. The event, the seventh of 10 on the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) North America Junior Series, narrowed the field from 80 to 32 by the day’s end.

The event’s remaining surfers are vying for the valuable ratings points on offer towards qualification for the Billabong ASP World Junior Championships held in Narrabeen, Australia in January 2009. The top five finishers on the ASP North American Pro Junior Series at the year’s end earn a chance to surf against the finest junior qualifiers from each respective region, in an attempt to earn the title of ASP World Junior Champion.

Andino, who won three heats today, earned the day’s top honors by posting the highest single wave score of a 9.33 out of a possible 10 with multiple backhand blasts on a rare lefthander. The young regular-footer also posted a second solid score of 7.67 on another left, earning the highest combined heat total of 17.00 out of a possible 20 point score.

“My heat started out slow and I only had two four point rides, but then I got those two good lefts, Andino said. “ I got that one left and went straight up five times and got the nine. Most of the guys were only getting two turns in, but my waves had a reform and I was able to get better scores.”

Andino, who has spent his summer surfing his home pointbreak of Lower Trestles, adapted easily to the small New Jersey beachbreak on offer in today’s event.

“I’ve been surfing Lowers and Riviera at home, so this is a different approach to surfing, but the small waves fit my size and my boards,” Andino said.

Perillo won two heats while posting one of the highest heat totals of 15.33 out of possible 20 in his Round 2 victory. Perillo paddled away from the pack and found a couple of excellent waves in order to earn his top scores.

“I paddled out on the north side of the contest area and got a wedge off of a hole in the sandbar,” Perillo said. “I was able to sit there and caught a few good ones and tried to do as many turns as possible.”

Kelly, who is a Sea Isle City local, used his local knowledge as ammunition against the field today. The powerful goofy-footer’s familiarity of the small New Jersey beachbreak worked to his advantage.

“The waves are small, but I’ve been surfing even worse waves all summer, so I’m used to it,” Kelly said. “I sat down the beach in my heat because there was a northeast wind and I knew there was a left I’d be able to get. It’s important to separate yourself from the pack on days like today when there aren’t many waves because it gives you a better chance of getting good scores.”

Kelly is hoping to post a solid result in front of his home crowd and is happy to have the best ASP North America Pro Junior surfers in his back yard.

“It’s sick being able to surf with all of these good guys at your home break,” Kelly said. “I’m stoked to have an event here at home.”

An Oakley Pro Junior pres. by Heritage Surf and Sport Champion will be crowned tomorrow afternoon. Competition will recommence tomorrow at 8am local time and will see top seeds Cory Arrambide (Ventura, CA), Travis Beckmann (Vero Beach, FL), Nat Young (Santa Cruz, CA) and Blake Jones (Melbourne Beach, FL) take on today’s standouts.

For additional event information check out www.heritagesurf.com

For more details log on to www.aspworldtour.com or www.aspnorthamerica.org